Do you have a bright idea about how to increase the environmental, economic or social value of Mediterranean non-wood forest products? The call is still open for you to enter the INCREDIBLE Open Innovation Challenge (OIC)!

The Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute (iuFOR) of the University Valladolid and INIA hosted last week in Palencia (Spain) an interregional workshop on ‘Wild harvested nuts and berries in time of new pests, diseases and climate change’.

Do you have an interesting solution or business idea to solve a technological, social or environmental challenge for non-wood forest products (NWFPs) in the Mediterranean? The INCREDIBLE project has just launched the Open Innovation Challenge (OIC) which will select the five most innovative ideas with the potential to increase the environmental, economic or social value of Mediterranean NWFPs.

What are the rules on collecting wild mushrooms and truffles in Europe? Representatives from Croatia, France, Greece, Italy and Spain compared notes on taxation and regulation from each of their countries and the message was resounding. With little or no supportive regulation in place, small businesses cannot thrive and even organised sale is deterred, giving rise to a black market or collection for personal use only. Realistic fiscal and labour regulation, as well as traceability legislation is urgently needed, for each country and at European scale.